Field of the invention
Vehicle straightening benches usually have a force applying structure located on their periphery and are adapted to be moved therealong. Some force applying structures, such as in the present invention, are connected to the vehicle straightening bench and are provided with a system for sliding while being connected to the bench and with a system for locking the movement of this structure around the bench.
The present invention is particularly directed to a sliding and locking system for a force applying structure on a vehicle straightening bench having a generally rectangular pathway for supporting a vehicle. The sliding system makes use of rollers engaging a truss beam forming the Pathway. The sliding system is made of a transverse beam disposed crosswise under the pathway and extend outwardly to support the force applying structure. The transverse beam supports a locking system adapted to lock the truss beam against the transverse beam and remove the contact between the rollers and the truss beam.
In another embodiment, the force applying structure is supported by a pair of transverse beams, that is, a primary and secondary transverse beam. The two transverse beams are partly superposed under the truss beam, one of which is adapted to pivot relative to the truss beam so as to displace the force applying structure at an angular orientation relative to the truss beam.
Prior art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,335, to Leonard Eck makes use of a force applying structure adapted to be rotatably mounted around a work rack structure for correcting and aligning misshapened vehicle frame. Eck makes use of roller means for sliding the force applying structure wherein one set applies on the upper surface of the lower, external marginal ledge of the rack structure while the other rollers 101 and 102 contact the end surface 30 of the inner and lower flange 24 to provide a horizontal displacement of the force applying structure.
In the above-mentioned patent to Eck, the wheels used for moving the force applying structure are automatically brought out of rotatative engagement when a pulling force from the standard to the vehicle tends to swing the force applying structure upwardly, whereby the wheels become disengaged from the outer lower flange and a flange frictionally engages the upper surface of the inner portion of the upper planar member. This automatic system is achieved when the fluid ram pushes down the leverage arm 131 which, at the same time, pulls on the chain 135.
Furthermore, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,335, the pin 119 of the standard 16 is provided with a pivotal movement with the base 15 but the axis of the pin 119 is located on the outer periphery of the rack structure 2 and could not allow the force applying structure to move around a corner of a substantially rectangular rack structure and around one leg of a U-shape rack structure.